FORCES OCCUPYING THE US EMBASSY IN TEHRAN

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03391567
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: February 2, 2018
• Case Number: F-2016-00493
• Publication Date: January 22, 1980

Approved for Release: 2018/01/30 C03391567
22 January 1980
MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: Forces Occupying the U$ Embassy in Tehran
Key Judgments
We believe that the group occupying the US Embassy
compound in Tehran numbers between 150 and 300. They are
armed, apparently well organized, and have indicated con-
tinuing concern with security procedures--not only against
a possible US or US-instigated attack, but against a possible
attack by an unruly mob which would take matters into its
own hands.
While the captors have shown significant independence
of Khomeini, there are indications that they are ultimately
responsive to his direction. If Khomeini issued an unambiguous
order that stages be released, we believe his order would
be obeyed.
Apparently well disciplined, the members of the group
have been capable of maintaining clandestinity so that despite
considerable media exposure, little information on the back-
ground of the aroup or the identities of its members has
emerged.
Spokesmen for the captors have successfully manipulated
the media with effective propaganda efforts exploiting Iranian
nationalist feelings and Moslem religious emotion to whip up
anti-American sentiment.
Relationship with Khomeini and the Revolutionary Council
The forces occupying the US Embassy in Tehran have
repeatedly proclaimed their loyalty to Ayatollah Khomeini
and identify themselves as the "Moslem Student Followers
of the Imam's Line." Numbering between 150 and 300, the
group is apparently well organized and tightly disciplined.
This memorandum was prepared jointly by the Iran Task
Force and the Near East South Asia Division of the Directorate
of Operations. It has been coordinated with the National
Intelligence Officer for Near East South Aix. Commntp and
queries may be addressed
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Statements issued by the group reveal a skillful manipulation
of the media in a propaganda effort designed to gather public
support for the occupation. These statements suggest that
the ideology of the captors mixes leftist radicalism with
elements closer to Khomeini's views--a hatred for the US and
the Shah, as well as devotion to Islam.
The group is evidently responsive to direction from
Khomeini, and we believe that if the Ayatollah ordered the
release of the hostages he would be obeyed. There are indi-
cations that the captors are "out ahead" of Khomeini--that
they initiated the occupation without his specific direction
and that popular support for their hardline position would
make it difficult for Khomeini to move against them even if
he wished to do so. Nevertheless, the captors are likely
to follow Khomeini's direction on possible trials of the
hostages and on the question of their release.
Khomeini has supported the continued occupation of the
Embassy, calling the action an expression of the will of the
Iranian people. Nevertheless, the relationship of Khomeini
to the captors is characterized by both control and conflict.
Khomeini's order that American clergy be allowed to visit
the hostages at Christmas apparently went against the will
of the captors. Likewise, the captors' refused to allow
an American reporter into the Embassy compound after Khomeini
had approved the meeting.
Spokesmen for the group have rejected the authority of
the Revolutionary Council, since they fear that the Council
might achieve a peaceful resolution of the crisis which would
deprive them of the political influence they have aecruired
by holding the Embassy.
The experience of the groups of young armed guerrillas
who bore the brunt of the street fighting during the final
days of the revolution, but were then shunted aside by the
Revolutionary Council and the Bazargan government, and were in
fact driven forcibly from the headquarters buildings they
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had seized, may well have provided the captors with an object
lesson in dealing with the institutions of Khomeini's Islamic
Republic. Without convincing guarantees of a role in the
political process, and in the absence of an unambiguous order
from Khomeini to release the hostages, the captors are un-
likely to cooperate in any fashion with efforts by members
of the Revolutionary Council to achieve a resolution of
crisis short of the Shah's return to Iran for "trial."
Identity and Composition of the Group
We believe that the organizational element of the group
is provided by Islamic militants probably associated with one
of the Islamic/leftist organizations active on Iranian univer-
sity campuses under the Shah and now openly competing with
other leftist oraanizatinns fnr npw nipmhc.rQ nmnylrf
statements issued by the captors
and various reports on the group indicate no expressions of
ideology beyond a dedication to Islam, a determination to
continue to momentum of the revolution, and hatred of the
Shah and the US.
it is possible that some members of the group occupying
the Embassy may have received some training from Palestinian
groups in the past. Some of the captors reportedly speak
Farsi in a manner suggesting that they have spent periods
of time in the Arab world, or that threadeha\cteed
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the main force involved
in tne initial occupation was composed of fanatic
Moslem students under the control of
Mousavi Khoeni. Khoeni
,was the leader ol a 94-oup laentitied as the
Islamic Association, and having long supported
Khomeini has recently been appointed to supervise
the upcoming presidential elections. The captors
having taken the name "Followers of the Imam's
Line" supports the view that Khoeni's, and thus
Khomeini's, followers are dominant within the
compound, though their position 's apparently
not unchallenged.
members of the established
IeEtist guerrilla groups, the People's Fedayeen and
the Mujahedin, are not among the captors and that
they are in fact resentful of having been unab
play a role in thP Pmbacoxr
Identity of Individuals Among the Group: Summary Selected
Data
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Reports Concerning Organization of the Captors
There is no doubt that there is a disagreement among the
captors on at least minor points, but an organizational dis-
cipline has emerged--or been imposed. The released hostages
report discussion of resolution of specific problems, but
immediate acceptance of decisions coming from above. In
some individual cases, disillusion with the wisdom of having
undertaken the occupation has been reported, but no reports
of effective dissent have been received
Structurally, the occupation forces are amarentiv led
by a committee.
iive-man committee is composed at whopnl_ fwn
students and two Pasdaran.
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